Prince William County Criminal Records

Prince William County criminal records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk and General District Court in Manassas, Virginia. The county is the second most populous in Virginia, with roughly 480,000 residents, and handles a large volume of criminal cases each year. Whether you need felony case files, misdemeanor records, arrest reports from the Police Department, or inmate information from the Sheriff, this page covers where to go and how to get what you need in Prince William County.

Prince William County Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk maintains all felony criminal records for the county. The office is at 9311 Lee Avenue, Suite 100, Manassas, VA 20110. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The county handles over 2,500 felony criminal cases each year, making it one of the busier circuit courts in Virginia.

When a grand jury returns an indictment in Prince William County, the circuit court case file opens. The clerk's records then collect every document filed as the case moves forward. This includes indictments, motions from prosecution and defense, all court orders, plea agreements, jury instructions when applicable, sentencing guidelines worksheets, and the final sentencing order. Under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23, all arrest and disposition data must flow into the statewide criminal records system. These records are public once the case is resolved unless sealed by the court.

The Clerk's Office provides public access terminals in the courthouse lobby. These terminals let you search case information using the Supreme Court of Virginia's Case Management System. You can find case summaries, hearing dates, party names, and disposition details. For the actual case documents, you need to request files at the clerk's counter during business hours.

Copy fees for Prince William County Circuit Court records are set by state law under Virginia Code Title 17.1: $0.50 per page for standard copies, $2.00 per document for certified copies, and $5.00 per document for exemplified copies. The Clerk accepts cash, check, money order, and credit cards. Mail requests for criminal records go to: Circuit Court Clerk, Attention: Criminal Division, 9311 Lee Avenue, Suite 100, Manassas, VA 20110. Include the defendant's name, date of birth, case number if known, and self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail requests process in seven to ten business days.

Prince William County Circuit Court uses the Judicial Information Management System for case tracking. Records in this system go back to 1988. Older records are stored off-site and require five to seven business days for retrieval. The Prince William County government website has contact information and links to all court resources.

General District Court Records

The Prince William County General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony cases. The court processes over 35,000 criminal and traffic cases annually. It has two locations: the main courthouse at 9311 Lee Avenue, Manassas, and a western facility at 9125 Judicial Center Drive, Manassas. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Misdemeanor records in Prince William County include arrest warrants, criminal summonses, charging documents, bond records, continuances, judgments, and sentencing orders. The court maintains specialized dockets including a DWI Court for alcohol-related offenses and a Domestic Violence docket. Records from these dockets are handled the same as other misdemeanor records for public access purposes.

The General District Court participates in the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. You can search online at vacourts.gov by name, case number, or hearing date. The system shows charges, case status, hearing dates, and payment balances. Not all details are online. Full records require an in-person or written request. Copy fees are $0.50 per page standard and $2.00 per certified document.

The court also offers various programs for eligible offenders, including the Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) and Driver Improvement Clinics. Participation records are maintained by the court but are administrative in nature.

Note: Traffic infractions are civil violations in Virginia. They do not appear in criminal record searches. Only criminal traffic charges like reckless driving, DUI, and hit-and-run create criminal records in Prince William County.

Police Department and Arrest Records

The Prince William County Police Department provides primary law enforcement services for the county. The Records Section is at Police Headquarters, 4371 Ridgewood Center Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192. It handles approximately 75,000 records requests annually. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Police records available to the public under Virginia FOIA include incident reports, accident reports, and arrest records. Incident reports show the date, time, location, parties involved, and officer narrative. Accident reports are available to involved parties and through BuyCrash.com. Arrest records include the person's name, charges, and bond status. Exemptions apply to active investigation files, juvenile records, and confidential informant information.

You can request records from Prince William County Police several ways. Visit the Records Section in person, submit an online request at pwcgov.org/police, mail a written request to the Records Section at 4371 Ridgewood Center Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192, or email policerecords@pwcgov.org. Copy fees are $0.50 per page for standard copies and $10.00 per incident report. Accident reports through BuyCrash.com cost $8.00.

The Department reports all arrests to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange within 72 hours using the CentralSquare Records Management System. The county also uses the National Crime Information Center and Virginia Criminal Information Network for information sharing.

The Prince William County government website has links to police records, court information, and FOIA procedures. The images below come from county government and police department pages.

This screenshot shows the Prince William County government portal at pwcgov.org, which connects to court records, the police department, and public records request forms.

The Prince William County Police Department Records Section accepts in-person, online, mail, and email requests for public records including arrest reports and incident files.

This image shows the Prince William County Police Department website, where the Records Section can be contacted for incident reports, accident reports, and arrest information.

Sheriff's Office and Detention Center Records

The Prince William County Sheriff's Office operates the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center at 9320 Capital Street, Manassas, VA 20110. The facility serves Prince William County and the City of Manassas with an average daily population of over 600 inmates. The Sheriff provides an online inmate locator at pwcgov.org/sheriff that shows current inmates, booking photos, charges, bond status, next court dates, and scheduled release dates.

Inmate record requests go to the Sheriff's Records Unit at (703) 792-6110. Public records available from the Sheriff include booking records, current charges, court dates, and release information. Medical records, mental health information, and disciplinary records are confidential. For visitor registration, go online at pwcgov.org/sheriff or call (703) 792-6131. All visitors need a valid government-issued photo ID.

How to Request Criminal Records

Prince William County offers several ways to access criminal records. The method you choose depends on what you need. Online searches are free and fast for basic lookups. In-person visits let you see full case files and walk out with certified copies. Mail requests work when you cannot come to Manassas in person.

The free online option is the Virginia Judiciary case information system at vacourts.gov. It covers circuit and district court records statewide. For an official criminal history background check, go to the Virginia State Police CCRE page. Use the SP-167 form for a name search at $15.00, or a fingerprint-based search for a more thorough result. A sex offender registry search uses the SP-266 form at $15.00, or search violent sex offenders for free at the Virginia Sex Offender Registry.

• Online case search: vacourts.gov/caseinfo
• Circuit Court Clerk: 9311 Lee Avenue, Suite 100, Manassas, VA 20110
• Police Department Records: 4371 Ridgewood Center Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192
• Sheriff's Records Unit: (703) 792-6110
• Virginia State Police CCRE: $15 name search, SP-167 form

For expungements in Prince William County, the Circuit Court Clerk's Office provides petition forms under Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2. Once an expungement order is entered, the clerk sends it to the Virginia State Police CCRE and destroys the expunged records per state law.

Public Access and FOIA

Virginia law makes most criminal court records public under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act at Virginia Code Title 2.2, Chapter 37. Anyone can request criminal court records in Prince William County without providing a reason. The responding agency has five working days to reply. Public bodies must designate a FOIA officer to assist the public.

Exemptions to public access include juvenile records, expunged records, active investigation files, and records containing information about confidential informants. Under Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23.1, individuals with dismissed or acquitted charges may petition for expungement. Once granted, those records are sealed. The Virginia FOIA Advisory Council provides guidance on disputed access and issues advisory opinions on what records must be released.

Prince William County criminal records maintained by agencies that are not the courts, like police incident files, are also subject to FOIA. The county provides FOIA request forms and procedures through the county website. Responses are required within five working days, with extensions allowed for large or complex requests.

Cities in Prince William County

Two independent cities are located within the boundaries of Prince William County. They have their own court systems separate from the county.

Residents of Manassas and Manassas Park file criminal cases through their own courts, not Prince William County. Woodbridge, Dumfries, Gainesville, and other communities within the county are served by Prince William County courts.

Nearby Counties

Prince William County borders several other Virginia counties. Each has its own circuit court and criminal records system.